Beer container



Mamh 3, 1936. F. x. scHWAB BEER CONTAINER Filed July 6, 1934 INVENTOR"Hunk X. Schwab, Bf

ATTORNEYS D Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNETE D STATES A ENT ()FFI'E BEERCONTAINER Frank X; Schwab, Buifalo,-N. Y.

Application July 6, 1934, Serial, No. 733,993

3 Claims, (Cl. 22516) This invention relates to beverage compartments orcontainers for use in refrigerators or for-other purposes, and it hasparticular relation to containers forv beer or other brewed orcarbonated beverages for use in the household where it is desirable tokeep on hand a supply of cooled beverage, which may be drawn olf fromtime to time without the usual result of the remainingportiondeteriorating or going fla This in- Vention makes practicable forexample, the keeping on hand in the average household of draught beer,without the usual nuisance and problems and inconveniences attending thepresent forms of kegs, pumping apparatus, and cooling systerms; or ofempty bottles.

It is well known that bottled beer is inherently of a quality orcharacteristic which makes it less palatable to lovers of goodbeer.Thiscondition is necessarily caused by the pasteurization treatmentwhich must be given to beer after it is bottled, and the result is anunavoidablemodification of flavor and delectability. This fact accountsfor the continued widespread toleration by the consumers oftheinconvenience, muss and equipment problems associated with the use of.draught beer.

The present invention provides means whereby untreated draught beerwhich has been drawn into the container portion at thebrewery under themost favorable atmospheric and temperature conditions, may betransported to the consumer in convenient quantities and in such mannerthat the beverage will be kept cooled during transportation.

Upon delivery, the device may be inserted in the consumers refrigeratorso that the beverage is kept in proper condition and available at alltimes. The device is sanitary and convenient to use; and is aharmonizing accessory part of the modern refrigerating unit. It lendsitself readily to artistic designing; and being readily withdrawablefrom the refrigerator it may be placed directly upon the dining or partytable, where it adds a decorative touch as well as being a means forkeeping the beverage conveniently available for use and at the propertemperature.

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a refrigerator having a device embodying theinvention incorporated therein.

0 Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section illustrating the construction of abeverage container;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken substantially along the line IIIIII ofFig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view, on a larger scale, partially in 551 elevation andpartially in. section, of a compressor for controlling the pressure onthe fluid in the beverage container.

In practicing the invention a beverage cone tainer Ill is mounted upon asupport II that is rigidly secured in a refrigerator l2 havingconventional shelves l3 and cooling unit l5. This cooling unit may be inthe form of cooling coils, or an ice compartment in which bulk ice isinserted for cooling purposes.

The support II is in the form of an open grid- 10 having transverse andlongitudinal bars l6 and ll; and is provided with a pair of angularguides I8 which are composed of relatively thin material, the upperangular portions of which converge upwardly. Flanges 99 are formed uponthe rear 15 ends of the guides to serve as stops, and suitable fasteningdevices 2% secure the guides rigidly to theintermediatelongitudinalbarsIT. The support can be installed as a permanent part of the refrigeratoror it can be detachably mounted therein. 2

The beverage container proper is substantially cylindrical in form andis provided with a lower offset base 22 having upwardly converging sidesurfaces 23 which slidably engage the guides and extend continuouslyfrom one end of the container to the other. As best shown in Fig. 2, therear end of the corner portions abut the rear flanges I?) of the guidesand prevent further rearward movement of the container. However, thecontainer can be withdrawn as desired forwardly 315 from the guides, butcannot be displaced in any other direction.

A suitable opening 25 formed in a boss 26 upon the upper portion of thecontainer provides for convenient filling of the container with the 3beverage to be held therein, and a fluid tight cap 2'! is secured uponthe boss over the opening in such manner as to seal the container. Thecap is capable of withstanding fifty or more pounds per square inch ofpressure and must be Tl mutilated in order to remove it. Hence, the cancan be used only once.

A compressor 31! mounted in the upper part of the container comprises aplug 32 that is secured in fluid tight relation in an opening 33 in thecontainer end wall and a nut 35 threaded upon the outer end portion ofthe plug tightens it firmly in its proper position. Suitable washers 35provided upon opposite sides of the end wall facilitate the positioningof the plug therein in fluid tight relation. The inner end of the plugconstitutes a cylinder head 3'! for a cylindrical body 38 of thecompressor which is screwthreaded thereto. At the end of the cylinderbody opposite the head 31, a valve plug 39 is rigidly mounted -1 influid tight relation and is provided with an axial duct 40 leading intoa valve chamber 42 formed in the end of the valve plug.

A check valve 43 is mounted in the chamber 42 for normally covering theduct 40 and is resiliently held in place by means of a spring 43 havingone end engaging the valve and the other end engaging'a cap 46 that isscrewthreaded into the outer end of the chambered plug. An opening 41 inthe end of the cap provides for fluid communication with the duct andinterior of the cylinder when the valve 43 is open.

A pumping piston 50 is reciprocable in the cylinder body and a pistonrod 52 rigidly secured to the piston extends through the plug 32 to theoutside of the container where it is provided with a manually operablehandle 53. Suitable lugs 55 formed upon the piston are adapted tocontact the outer end of the plug 32 to gauge the inward stroke of thepiston.

The lower portion of the container is provided with a spigot 56comprising a tubular shell extending through the container Wall. Aflange 51 formed upon the spigot has a washer 58 between it and thecontainer wall and is tightened thereagainst in fluid tight relation bymeans of a nut 59 screwthreaded upon the inner end of the spigot. Avalve 60 closing the inner end of the spigot is formed upon a valve stem62 which projects from the outer end of the spigot. It is of course tobe understood that the size of the valve stem is such that fluid mayflow freely through the spigot when the valve is open. A spring 63surrounding the outer end portion of the valve stem has one end abuttinga head 65 at the valve stem end and the other end of the spring abuts .awasher 66 surrounding the valve stem to provide a fluid tight connectiontherewith. The washer rests upon a shouldered por-- tion 61 of theinterior of the spigot. A suitable spout 68 communicates with. theinterior of the spigot and with the interior of the container when thevalve 60 is open.

In utilizing the invention, the container i0 is filled .at a beverageplant, such as a brewery, by conventional filling devices through theopening 25 and then a cap 2'! is crimped in sealed relation on the boss26 by a conventional sealing or capping machine. Thus, each of thecontainers is filled, for example, with beer or ale under idealatmospheric and temperature conditions to .avoid any bacteria that mightbe harmful to the product. Then the filled containers are sealed andpacked in such manner as to preserve these conditions until the contentsare consumed. The container can be packed in a carton with dry ice, orthe like, for preserving its contents during delivery.

Upon delivery to the consumer the container is guided into therefrigerator upon the guides l8, and is then ready for use. The beveragecan be drawn from the spigot While the container is in the refrigerator,or the container can be removed and placed upon a table, or otherwisepositioned for convenient access and service.

The compressor 36 is provided for the purpose of maintaining pressureupon thesurface of the beverage as portions of it .are withdrawn. Thus,the escape of the gases characteristic of the beverage is prevented andthe original desirable qualities and flavor are preserved until theentire contents are consumed.

While the compressor is being operated by the user, the guide members l8hold the container rigidly in place on its support.

It should be observed that the outlet opening 41 of the compressor isdisposed at a location closely adjacent the upper inner wall of thecontainer. This arrangement is important because the air pumped into thecontainer is not passed through the body of the beverage. If the airwere passed through or bubbled through the beverage it would absorb andcarry oif some of the beverage flavor, and otherwise adversely affectthe beverage.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described indetail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that theinvention is not so limited but that various changes can be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope ofthe invention defined by the accompanying claims.

I claim: I

1: A beverage cooler comprising a fluid tight container, the lowerportion of the container having upwardly converging guide portions, asupport having upwardly converging guide portions cooperating with thefirst mentioned guide portions for securing the container upon thesupport, refrigerating means surrounding the support for cooling thecontainer, said container being slidably removable from the supportguide portions, .a manually operable air pump mounted in the upperportion of the container and discharging into a space above the beveragelevel in the container, said guiding portions cooperating with thecontainer to hold the latter firmly during operation of the pump, andmeans for withdrawing beverage from the container at'a location adjacentthe lower portion of the container.

2. A beverage cooler comprising a fluid tight container, the lower baseportion of the container having guiding surfaces for connection of thecontainer in removable relation upon a support, .a manually operable aircompressor having a handle and being mounted inside the container in theupper portion thereof free from its beverage contents to render the bodyof the beverage free of air bubbles from the compressor, a handle forthe compressor extending outwardly from the wall of the container whilethe body of the compressor remains inside the container, said compressorhaving an outlet located in the upper portion of the container above thenormal level of beverage therein whereby compression of air above thebeverage will avoid passing any of the air through the body of thebeverage, and means for drawing the contents of the container from thelower portion thereof below the substantially empty level of thecontainer.

3. A beverage container comprising a fluid tight container having anormally sealed opening for receiving beverage therethrough prior tosealing, a manually operable compressor insertable through the openingand connectedrigidly to an inner Wall portion of the container spacedfrom said opening, said compressor having a handle extending in fluidtight relation through said wall for operating the compressor, the compressor and its outlet being disposed in the upper portion of thecontainer free from its beverage contents to render the body of thebeverage free of air bubbles from the compressor, and means for drawingthe contents of the container from the lower portion thereof below thesubstantially

